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Custom Shorts Unveiled for UFC 305 Headliners Dricus Du Plessis, Israel Adesanya

Are these the best ones yet?! 😍

Buy your own pair here: https://t.co/CEOVt2EWZD | #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/ylUWbhjuez

— UFC (@ufc) August 13, 2024

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will have some special attire for their championship headliner at UFC 305.

The Las Vegas-based promotion revealed the custom fight shorts that the middleweight combatants will wear for their bout at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Saturday night. The shorts are specially made by Venum, the official outfitter of the UFC.

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Du Plessis claimed the middleweight crown with a split-decision triumph over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 on Jan. 20. The 30-year-old South African will carry a nine-bout winning streak into his grudge match with Adesanya. He also owns notable victories over the likes of Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till.

Adesanya is returning to…

Mateusz Gamrot: ‘I’m the Best Wrestler in the Lightweight Division’

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Mateusz Gamrot claims Dustin Poirier’s last fight against Islam Makhachev is proof that “Gamer” is the best wrestler in the lightweight division.

Gamrot is scheduled to take on veteran contender Dan Hooker at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, on Saturday. Gamrot believes a potential victory over Hooker sets him up for an interim lightweight title fight, and then an eventual title unifier against the champ Makhachev, who is temporarily sidelined due to a hand injury.

While “Gamer” acknowledges Makhachev’s elite grappling skillset, he considers himself the best wrestler in the lightweight division. And Gamrot highlights Makhachev’s last title fight against Poirier, whom he helped train, as testament to that. Poirier gave Makhachev a stern test en route to a fifth-round submission loss at UFC 302 this past June. While cornering Poirier for the fight, Gamrot had it 2-2 going into the final frame — although the judges saw it differently. Ga…

Ricky Glenn Plans on Having Fun at UFC 305: ‘I’m Not Gonna Be Fighting Much Longer’

Ricky Glenn appears to have reached a crossroads in his mixed martial arts career.

The Marshalltown, Iowa, native has lost consecutive bouts for the first time in his professional tenure, falling to Drew Dober and Christos Giagos via KO/TKO in his last two UFC appearances. Those defeats were also the first two knockout losses of Glenn’s career, which began in 2006.

Glenn will look to return to the win column for the first time in three years when he squares off against Kenan Song in a preliminary lightweight bout at UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Saturday night.

“I’ve never been TKOed or KOed, so that’s kind of weird,” Glenn told UFC.com. “F—k man, you can control everything you can control, but then when you get in there, you just kind of gotta roll the dice, do the best you can do.

“Obviously the best I can do wasn’t enough, and I lost my last couple fights, and I’m just looking at this one as going in there, having fun; tryin…

Former PFL Champ Bruno Cappelozza Suspended 1 Year for Anti-Doping Violation

Former Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza has been suspended one year for failing an out-of-competition drug test.

Cappelozza tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, desethyl-clomifene, in a urine sample collected on April 17, 2024. Clomiphene is in the category of hormone and metabolic modulators and is banned at all times under the PFL anti-doping policy. Cappelozza will be eligible to return to active competition on April 17, 2025.

It’s the second failed drug test for Cappelozza, who tested positive for drostanolone in relation to a PFL regular season bout against Matheus Scheffel on April 7, 2023. That resulted in a nine-month suspension for the Brazilian, whose knockout of Scheffel was also overturned to a no contest.

Cappelozza returned to action for the first time since that sanction at the PFL vs. Bellator Champs event on Feb. 24, when he suffered a second-round submission loss to former Bel…

Contender Series Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Hit Contracted Marks for Week 1

Dana White's Contender Series is officially back for another season.

All 10 competitors slated to fight on Week 1 made weight without issue ahead of their respective bouts on Monday. The show awards UFC contracts to fighters who impress Dana White with their performance.

The Contender Series takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday and airs on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured bout is a middleweight showdown pitting Mansur Abdul-Malik (186) against Wesley Schultz (185).

Anchored at MMA Masters, Abdul Malik will take a 5-0 mark into the matchup with Schultz. He last appeared at LFA 176 on Feb. 9, when he defeated Allan St-Gelais via first-round knockout. All five of his professional triumphs have come inside of a round.

Schultz, meanwhile, has competed primarily for LFA while compiling a 6-1 record. He’s won his last three outings inside of a round, including a stoppage of Adland Benson at LFA 181 on April 5.

…

UFC 305’s Steve Erceg Wants to Be Known as ‘Toughest Guy’ in Flyweight Division

While he might have been viewed as an unlikely title challenger in just his fourth Octagon appearance, Steve Erceg proved that he belonged on that stage this past May.

The 29-year-old Australian gave Alexandre Pantoja all he could handle in the UFC 301 headliner, ultimately dropping a competitive unanimous decision to the reigning flyweight champion in Rio de Janeiro.

“Showed people that, despite the apparent pressure, I’m not going to wilt,” Erceg recently told the New York Post. “Although it looked too soon and all that nonsense, it probably wasn’t. I’m going to be a contender and then, eventually, champion one day.”

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Erceg will return to action for the first time since then when he meets Kai Kara-France in the UFC 305 co-main event on Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth. A victory over another top contender could put “Astro Boy” right back into the middle of the title discussio…

Eric Nicksick Discusses Khabib Nurmagomedov’s ‘Invite Only’ Training Sessions

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As a coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov is known for running a very tight ship. Belal Muhammad recently just learned firsthand how strict Nurmagomedov’s workouts can be.

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick recently revealed details of one of Nurmagomedov’s “invite only” training sessions that he attended at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Nicksick said that Nurmagomedov’s training sessions are extremely strict, with everyone laser focused only on training throughout. Nicksick admits drawing valuable insights from those practices regarding changes he can implement at his own gym.

“It’s invite only… It’s very serious, but very regimented. There’s no music, there’s no bulls—ing. Like, they’re not there to talk s—t with one another and joke around,” Nicksick told Red Corner MMA. “You’re there and it’s work, from the moment you step on the mat until the moment you’re off the mat…It taught me a lot on how to improve some of our…

Robert Whittaker Expects Du Plessis vs. Adesanya to Go the Distance

It’s a tough pick for Robert Whittaker to make between former foes Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya for their upcoming title fight.

Du Plessis looks to defend his middleweight title for the first time against Adesanya in the main event at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, this weekend. The South African knocked out Whittaker at UFC 290 last year to earn the title shot and dethroned then champ Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297 this past January.

Whittaker is finding it increasingly difficult to make a pick for the UFC 305 main event as the fight draws near. However, judging by Du Plessis’ performance against Strickland, Whittaker expects the champ to retain his title. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, “Bobby Knuckles” expects it to go the distance as both fighters are too skilled to be finished.

“If Dricus pushes the same plan, uses the same style he had against Strickland, he has to be my pick to win,” Whittaker told Fox Sport…

Dricus Du Plessis on Potential Sean Strickland Rematch: I Don’t Owe Him Anything

Dricus Du Plessis recently addressed the possibility of a future rematch against Sean Strickland.

Du Plessis dethroned Strickland at UFC 297 this past January via split decision in a middleweight title fight that could have easily been scored either way. Strickland later claimed to have been robbed due to the fight taking place in “liberal” Canada.

Strickland has since been calling for a rematch, strengthening his case with a decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June. Meanwhile, Du Plessis is set for his first title defense against former champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 on Saturday in Perth, Australia.

When it comes to a potential rematch against Strickland, Du Plessis says he doesn’t owe the American anything. The South African claims to be surprised by the controversy surrounding the scorecards, which according to him, shouldn’t have been split in the first place. However, that doesn’t mean Du Plessis will shy away from a rematch agai…

Luana Santos Replaces Tereza Bleda, Meets Casey O’Neill at UFC 305

🚨 New Opp 🚨@KingCaseyMMA will now take on Brazil’s Luana Santos at #UFC305! pic.twitter.com/h6DgbQoiM6

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) August 12, 2024

Luana Santos will step for Tereza Bleda and face Casey O'Neill at UFC 305 on Saturday.

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently confirmed the new flyweight booking after it was initially announced by All In Sports Management. UFC 305 takes place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Santos will make a quick turnaround after appearing at UFC on ESPN 59 on July 13, when she defeated Mariya Agapova via first-round submission. The 24-year-old Brazilian has won five straight contests, including three in UFC competition.

O’Neill, meanwhile, began her professional tenure with nine consecutive triumphs. After winning her first…

Alexander Volkanovski Predicts ‘Crazy Finish’ for Israel Adesanya in UFC 305 Main Event

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Alexander Volkanovski is expecting a return to form for Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

“The Last Stylebender” will return to action on Saturday for the first time since relinquishing the middleweight strap to Sean Strickland in the UFC 293 headliner last September. It was perplexing effort from Adesanya, who was building a resume at 185 pounds that rivaled some of the best in the sport’s history.

Volkanovski, who has trained with Adesanya at City Kickboxing, believes his teammate is capable of putting on a highlight reel performance against current 185-pound champ Dricus Du Plessis.

“I’m expecting a performance from Israel Adesanya, like a proper performance like you’ve seen [in] the Paulo Costa [fight]. A fight like that where he goes out and just does it in impressive fashion,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel.UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! “Because Dricus is very awkward, very un…

Israel Adesanya Believes He’s ‘Definitely Evolved’ Since UFC 293 Defeat

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Israel Adesanya has benefitted from a much-needed recharge since his upset loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September.

“I’ve definitely evolved,” Adesanya told TMZ Sports. “And just taking my time to heal myself: mind, body and spirit. Patience has been my friend throughout this whole thing. I’m a very patient man, so I’m just able to sit, watch and plot.”

When Adesanya relinquished the middleweight strap to Strickland, it ranked as one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history. Shortly thereafter, he revealed that he wouldn't be fighting for “a long time.” In addition to mental healing, Adesanya revealed that he has been focused on eating healthier and getting the proper amount of sleep.

“Now I’m living like a proper athlete and it’s nice,” he said.UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Adesanya will return for the first time since that loss when he challenges Dricus Du Plessis for …

Dricus Du Plessis: Israel Adesanya ‘Behaved Like a Fool’ During UFC 290 Confrontation

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The budding rivalry between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya reached a boiling point following the South African’s triumph over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 last summer.

In that moment, tensions flared when Adesanya entered the Octagon to confront Du Plessis, setting the stage for a future title bout between the two middleweights. Du Plessis had drawn Adesanya’s ire when he referred to himself as “the African fighter in the UFC” during a media day event in 2023, and that anger was reflected when the Nigerian-born Kiwi addressed Du Plessis in the cage that night.

The highly-anticipated showdown between Adesanya and Du Plessis took some time to materialize, but the two will finally meet more than a year later in the UFC 305 headliner on Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Now, however, their roles are reversed: Du Plessis is the champion and Adesanya is the challenger. In an interview with Fox Sports Australia, Du Plessis…

Xtreme Couture Coach Details Heartwarming Gesture from Francis Ngannou

Eric Nicksick shares the story of how a thoughtful gesture from Francis Ngannou brought one of his coaches to tears 👏

🎥 @MMAFighting #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/9UR5dzj31g

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 10, 2024

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick recently revealed how a gesture from Francis Ngannou moved one of his other coaches to tears.

Nicksick shared how fellow coach Nate Pettit is one of the hardest working guys in the gym, devoting his whole life to the Las Vegas-based camp. A couple of weeks ago, a teary-eyed Pettit walked up to Nicksick in the gym and said Ngannou had just handed him a check.

When Nicksick later thanked Ngannou for looking out for Pettit, “The Predator” said he didn’t want the coach’s efforts to go unreciprocated. Nicksick also credited Pettit for a significant role in preparing Ngannou for his knockout title win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in 2021.

“Nate Pettit’s one …

Jose Mariscal Almost Pulled Out of Damon Jackson Fight Due to Missing Weight

Jose Mariscal was so embarrassed by missing weight for his clash against Damon Jackson on Saturday that he almost pulled out of the fight.

UFC on ESPN 61 allowed only one hour for fighters to weigh in instead of the usual two. Mariscal, who weighed in at 3.5 pounds over the featherweight limit, was one of three fighters who missed weight for the event. However, Mariscal doesn’t blame the short weigh-in window and instead takes responsibility for his weight miss.

A lifetime martial artist, Mariscal knows the importance of making weight. “Chepe” didn’t even want to be seen in the arena, but his coaches put his mind back on track. An undisclosed portion of Mariscal’s purse was offered to Jackson, who agreed to proceed with the fight. Mariscal went on to earn an impressive unanimous decision win over Jackson in a high-paced, entertaining affair.

“We kind of calculated the weight cut kind of wrong, especially with the Vegas heat and everything — …

Dricus Du Plessis Credits Coach’s Advice for Finish of Robert Whittaker

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Dricus Du Plessis credits coach Morne Visser for the tip which helped him finish Robert Whittaker to earn a UFC middleweight title shot.

“Stillknocks” scored a second-round stoppage of Whittaker in their title eliminator matchup at UFC 290 in July 2023. The South African revealed that it was his coach’s plan to fight southpaw that earned him the finish.

While Du Plessis admits Whittaker is almost technically flawless, his team noticed “Bobby Knuckles” getting clipped against southpaws even when the Australian emerged victorious. Du Plessis listened to his coach’s advice to go southpaw and was rewarded perfectly.

UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! “All credit to my coach for that fight,” Du Plessis said on the UFC 305 Countdown show. “There’s very very few holes in the game of Robert Whittaker. Fighting southpaws, he beat all of them but he got caught a few times coming in. And we went thro…

Impa Kasanganay: Joshua Silveira Rematch at PFL 8 is ‘Whole New Hunt’

Impa Kasanganay won’t dwell on his initial meeting with Joshua Silveira going into their upcoming clash next weekend.

Kasanganay and Silveira will headline PFL 8 in a light heavyweight semifinal matchup on Aug. 16 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. The two previously met at last season’s final in November 2023, when Kasanganay earned a unanimous decision victory to win $1 million and rise to stardom as the promotion’s light heavyweight champion.

However, Kasanganay is considering their upcoming clash a “new hunt” rather than a rematch. Acknowledging his opponent’s skillset, “Tshilobo” says he expects Silveira to have put the previous loss behind him.

“I expect Josh to be the best version of himself. Josh is a solid fighter; he’s smart and coached well. To me, it’s not a rematch. It’s a whole new hunt. Last year is behind us. I always say burn the ships, so, what title?” Kasanganay told Sherdog.com.

“For me, I could care less …

Dominick Cruz Joins Commentary Team for UFC 305

Former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will be part of the broadcast table for UFC 305 while Joe Rogan takes his customary absence during an international event.

Cruz will join Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik for the pay-per-view event on Aug. 17. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news. Rogan will likely return to his usual role for UFC 306, which is scheduled for The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14.UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! UFC 305 takes place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and is headlined by a middleweight championship clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. In the co-main event Kai Kara France will square off against Steve Erceg in a matchup of flyweight contenders.

The UFC 305 main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Prelims will begin on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT before shifting to ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Serghei Spivac Armbars Marcin Tybura in UFC on ESPN 61 Headliner

Sergehi Spivac wasted little time exacting revenge on Marcin Tybura.

The Moldovan made short work of Tybura in the UFC on ESPN 61 headliner, submitting his Polish opponent in the opening stanza of their heavyweight encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. An armbar from Spivac (17-4, 8-4 UFC) elicited a verbal tap from Tybura (25-9, 12-8) at the 1:44 mark of Round 1. “The Polar Bar” has finished 15 of his 17 career triumphs — including 11 inside a round. Tybura defeated Spivac via unanimous decision in their initial meeting at UFC Fight Night 169 in February 2020.

Spivac closed the distance quickly and made his way to Tybura’s back early in the fight. However, Tybura was able to reverse into top position shortly thereafter. That success proved to be short lived, as Spivac worked his guard up, flipped his opponent over and locked in the decisive hold.

Spivac has won four of his last five promotional appearances, while Tybura has dro…

UFC on ESPN 61 ‘Tybura vs. Spivac 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 61 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Luciano (-185), Alencar (+154)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Zalal (-395), Errens (+310)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Resul…

UFC Vegas 95 Prelims: Karol Rosa Brutalizes Pannie Kianzad with Leg Kicks

Getty Images/UFC

Sometimes, a fight comes down to the winning fighter having one elite technique, the moxie to use it, and an opponent who cannot or will not make adjustments.

In the final fight of the four-bout undercard of UFC on ESPN 61 on Saturday in Las Vegas, Karol Rosa (18-6) brutalized Pannie Kianzad (16-9) for three rounds with a barrage of calf kicks. From the opening seconds of the fight, Rosa went to work on the lead leg of Kianzad and those kicks defined the round, as Kianzad first ignored them, then began trying to pull the threatened limb out of danger, and finally, late in the round, had her leg buckle. The onslaught continued in Round 2, with Rosa pouring on the low kicks and meeting “Banzai” with punches and elbow strikes when she tried to close the distance. By the midpoint of the round, Kianzad was limping and bleeding badly from a cut opened by a Rosa elbow, but remained game, marching forward and throwing punches ev…

UFC on ESPN 61 Bonuses: All Three Finishers Receive $50K

The three fighters who didn’t need to go to the judges — Serghei Spivac, Toshiomi Kazama and Youssef Zalal — all received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work on Saturday.

Spivac got his revenge on Marcin Tybura in the UFC on ESPN 61 main event, as he submitted the Pole in their heavyweight rematch at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. An armbar ended the contest at the 1:44 mark of Round 1.

Kazama, meanwhile, had to push through some serious adversity to earn his post-fight bonus. After being dropped by Charalampos Grigoriou early in the second stanza and then absorbing some heavy elbows on the canvas, Kazama rallied to secure a triangle choke submission at the 1:55 mark of the period.

Finally, Zalal continued his resurgence at the expense of Jarno Errens in a preliminary featherweight matchup. Zalal took Errens to the canvas and then transitioned to the back. When his opponent elected to stand, “The Moroccan Devil” was able to secure the fight-end…

Brendan Loughnane: ‘This is the Business End’ of PFL Tournament

Brendan Loughnane has been with the Professional Fighters League since 2019 and has grown with the company to a point where both parties are thriving in the present day.

Loughnane, who has only lost twice in the PFL, has figured out a method to the promotion’s regular season and playoff format, and five years later he’s prepared for business once again.

Loughnane will begin his bid to become a two-time PFL champion when he takes on UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Kai Kamaka III in the featherweight semifinals at PFL 9 on Aug. 23. During a recent media call, Loughnane discussed his veteran status with the promotion and how he feels this is the time for business with the playoffs having arrived.

“Yeah, this is the business end of the tournament now,” Loughnane said. “I’m feeling great. Another great camp, I’ve managed to stay healthy all year.”

When it comes to experience, it’s not just what he’s done in the PFL. Loughnane noted he has more car…

Caio Borralho Expects Title Shot with Finish of Jared Cannonier

Caio Borralho expects that a title shot could be imminent if he finishes his upcoming opponent.

The next middleweight championship bout is already set, as Dricus Du Plessis will put his 185-pound strap on the line against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia on Aug. 17. Borralho admits that while he has always mentally wagered against Du Plessis, the champ has proven him wrong time and again. And yet, Borralho predicts that “Stillknocks” will be dethroned by Adesanya due to a stylistic disadvantage.

“I always bet against Dricus you know, but I always lost,” Borralho told MMAjunkie.com. “Not money, but I always think that he was going to lose the fights that he got, but he did an amazing job and won the fights… But this time I think I’m gonna be again against him. I think Adesanya – stylistically I don’t see this fight match. I think Adesanya can manage the distance a lot, can kick him a little bit more. Because all of [his] previous oppon…

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